Well, this story is set in an AU, not really ancient Egypt though I started it out to be. Think of it as in ancient Egypt with a few twists. I have to do that because some of my scenes may not be 100% correct though the descritions I put down for the gods and goddesses are. You can trust me on that one since I'm mythology obsessed.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Yu-Gi-Oh characters. The plot line is my own though...
~Golden Opal~
Brown eyes made all the more vivid by the pale skin and silver-white hair srrounding them. Brown eyes, filled with unshed tears of pain and unasked questions. Brown eyes, witness to more cryelty than they cared to remember.
"Get up dog."
The boy scrambled to his feet with only a moment's hesitation, enough to earn him another blow which sent him careening headlong into the rough stone wall.
"Useless dog. After everything I've done for you since your parents died and you can'teven obey a simple command immediately. Stupid shit. Sinceyou're so slow, I expect your chores outside to take a long time. Long enough that you'll miss both lunch and dinner. Understand?"
An instant nod, fast enough that the boy only received a sharp clip on the ear. Hastily,he knelt to touch his forehead to the man's sandled feet with his forehead before rising to take his leave. His humiliation had one more ritual to complete before he could be released.
"Oh, and Ryou, you know what ahppens if you try to run away. Don't you?"
The boy bowed his head as he turned around to answer with the words which had been drilled into his head since the day he had entered this slavery under the pretense of adoption.
"If I should try to run away from your genorosity, You will hunt me down and beat me to the edge of deat, wait until I heal and then beat me to death. I cannot hide and noody will ever help me because these show that you own me."
The man nodded in brief approval as the boy held up his wrists, indicating the metal bands locked around each slim limb. Heavy and virtually unbreakable, they each had a loop to fasten a chain or rope and were stamped with the family crest. The approval was short lived.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Get a move on dog!"
---------------------------------------------------------
Ryou arrived home late, very late. He hadn't dwadled over his chores but his uncle had come out near evening and set him to churning the milk, knowing full well that the already tired boy would have to trek at least two miles to get any. Now sore, tired and dirty, Ryou wanted nothing more than to clean up and collapse in the storeroom where he slept on a pileof sacks. If he was lucky, his uncle might forget to tie up the spare rugs and he could wrap himself in one before he passed out, provided he remembered to replace it in the morning lest his uncle should check.
Padding softly to the kitchen where the water urns were kept, Ryou carefully ladelled out a drink for himself. So cool and refreshing! Dipping the worn linen rag he had brought with him into an urn, Ryou striped off his cloak and hooded smock, placing them in an untidy heap by his side. He began to carefully wipe off whatever he could of the day's sweat and the dust which seemed to stick to him in his chores no matter how hard he tried to keepclean under the hooded cloak he was forced to wear whenever he stepped out of the house into the burning rays of Aten. (Aten- the Egyption Sun god. Seen as the equivelent of Ra, in fact one might even say they are the same. Was once worshipped as the supreme god.) Finally satisfied that his body was as clean as he could get it by scrubbing with a rag in the dark, Ryou turned his attention to his clothes. Fumbling slightly in the litchen lit only by the light of the moon in Nut's embrace, he suddenly froze. (Nut-Egyption goddess of the sky.)
Thunk.
Eyes wide in terror, Ryou spun around to the source of the sound, expecting to meet his uncle ready to dish out punishment for his unauthorized "bath". Instead he found himself staring at a rathe red-faced Bakura trying to not swear as he nursed a stubbed toe. Ryou quickly fumbled with his smock, trying to pull it on and get out of his cousin's way as fast as possible.
"Don't bother, it's not like I'm going to tell on you."
Ryou stopped to stare uncertainly at the older boy who had now straightened up and was staring down at him with an imperious air not too different from the one his father often used on the boy. with a grace that could have rivaled the movements ofBastet in the darkest of nights, Bakura knelt down next to the food box and pulled out a bundle. Ryou nearly jumped out of his skin as the older boy tossed it to him. (Bastet- the Egyption cat goddess. I've forgotten what she's the goddess of and I can't be bothered to go and check... So sue me.)
"For Ra's sake, there's nothing to act so skitterish about Ryou, it's not a cobra or anything. It's just food leftovers from dinner; you *are* hungry, aren't you?"
Ryou nodded, unwrapping the bundle and staring at the unleaven bread in something akin to disbelief before digging in. He wasn't too painfully hungry; he'd already eaten some of the feed for the chickens, but to be eating *fresh* food? Something nagged at the back ofRyou's mind; something wasn't right.Bakura was being too nice to him...
The painfully thin frame froze as Bakura joined the boy on the floor, leaning against the wall and peering at him in the dim light. Speeding up his chewing, Ryou wondered why Bakura was simply sitting there staring at him as though he was the most fascinating thing in the world. Was it all part of some sick and demented plan to get him to relax his gaurd, be it ever so slightly, before inflicting some kind of pain on him? Or worse, calling to his father that Ryou was sneaking a bath in the middle of the night and had stolen their food to eat? Swallowing the last of the bread, Ryou folded the cloth neatly and made as though to put it away in the food box. A low voice, throaty but not harsh stopped him.
"Here, pass it to me. I'm nearer to the food box."
"N-no thankyou. Don't trouble, I'll do it." Ryou hated to humble himslef before his cousin even but he couldn't risk angering him. Besides, the boy bitterly decided, he'd already been stripped of his dignity a long time ago, beaten around and treated like a dog with distemper which wouldn't go away. Imagine his surprise when Bakura gently took his hand and pulled him onto the floor beside him. Ryou raised an eyebrow in question,not daring to protest, not really wanting to. Bakura simply eased the empty food wrapping from his hand and placed it in the food box which was within his reach. With that out of the way, the silver-haired boy turned his attention back to Ryou.
"Ryou, do you like it here?"
The question was completely unexpected and it took Ryou a few seconds to gather his wits and thank the gods that it was Bakura at least, not his unble who had asked the question. If it had been his uncle, his hesitation would have resulted in a severe beating.
"Uncle is very kind to me, especially considering that nobody else would take me in."
Bakura rolled his eyes and leaned his head against the wall that had long since lost the heat of the day.
"That's not answering the question. I asked, 'do you *like* it here? And for Ra's sake, stop cowering like that. I already said I'm not going to tell on you or beat you. I'm not my father."
'I'm not my father."
Ryou stared in surprise at Bakura. He'd never expected to hearthose words, not even in those rare moments where he actually had the energy to fantasise about how an actualy conversation between him and his cousin might go. And yet... unexpected as they were, those words were the very ones which let Ryou hope that he could actually trust the darker boy.
"I... no, I don't really like it here."
Bakura gave a husky chuckle and began to absent-mindedly play with Ryou's smock.
"Well, nice to see my father hasn'tbeaten even your opinions out of you. Yet, you're almost blindly trusting."
Ryou froze, his entire rigid frozen in terror. Surely Bakura wasn't implying...?
"Heh, relax. I was only kidding; you're like a little hamster. You don't like it here? If it were me, I would positively loathe it here."
Ryou stared in shock and disbelief at the older boy who was leaning against the wall with his head tilted back, a wry smile playing on his lips. Finally, as Bakura seemed to be in danger of slipping into his own thoughts, Ryou blurted out his question.
"Why do you care?"
"Excuse me?"
"Why do you care? Why are you suddenly asking what I think?"
There was a long stretch of silence. Ryou was beginning to think that it must be as long as the endless desert sand so he did the only thing he could think of doing.
"I'm sorry."
Bakura looked up sharply.
"There's no need to appologise, I was merely wondering how to answer your question."
Seeing that the boy was listening intently, curiousity clearly written across his innocent face, Bakura continued.
"Do you know why father makes you wear a hood and cloak everytime you step outside?"
"N-no."
"Have you never wondered why?"
"I... I asked Uncle once and he punished me for being a 'snoopy little slacker who engaged in idle thoughts which were not his business'."
"I guessed as much... He plans to sell you, soon."
"Sell me? As a slave? Can he do that?"
"Yes, the law's on his side since, he's leagally both your father and mother now. Besides, who would take his word against that of a mere slave?"
Ryou bowed his head, allowing his long hair to flop over his face, hoping it would hide the look of anguish on his face from the boy at his side. Numbly, his mind cast around for something to say, anything to say to take his mind off the thought of being sold and losing his second home, no matter how awful it might be.
"What does that have to do with my wearing a hood and cloak all the time?"
"He... he wants to sell you as a sex slave, they fetch more money. That's why you have to be suited up whenever you gooutside, so that you remain fair and don't get burnt by the sun- like me. That's why he makes you keep your hair long too."
Ryou was too bust digesting the information overload to notice the dexterous fingers playing with his hair, gently brushing the sand out of the tangled locks and setting them straight.
"When... when does he want to sell me?"
"When the slave caravans next pass through, perhaps by the next new moon. Ryou!"
The younger boy had broken down completely and buried his face in his cousin's chest, sorrow breaking down all his caution and inhibitations.
"Ryou... Get off..."
SLAP.
Ryou jerked back, stunned and for some ridiculous reason, betrayed.
"S-sorry Bakur- I mean, sir. I'll be going to sleep. Thankyou very much for the food."
Ryou wanted to slap himself. He might have known that his father had shown Ryou sympathy before only to break the boy's trust in him by brutally beating him up the next moment. In one fluid motion, he grabbed Ryou and pulled him down beside him again.
"S-sir? I'm sorry!"
"Shut up and stop appologising, I just didn't want you to wake my father with your crying. And don't call me sir, *I'm not my father*."
"Yes si-Bakura."
Bakura gently brushed the strands of silver out of Ryou's eyes, locking gaze with him. Brown eyes which finally found another pair which mirrored his own so perfectly. Ryou shivered as a wind blew in through the window, chilling him through the thin cotton smock. Classic desert weather; blazing like an oven in the day and a virtual ice box at night. Bakura instinctively drew Ryou closer to him. Ryou blinked, breaking their eye-lock to glance at the tanned hand resting gently on his hip, holding him less than a handsbreath from Bakura.
Bakura sensed the boy's discomfort rather than saw it; the moonlight didn't give enough light for him to see the faint blush which tainted his pale cheeks.
"Perhaps we should retire... It's late."
"Al-alright."
Bakura shook his head in disapproval as Ryousneezed in the cold night. Gently, but firmly, Bakura placed a hand on the thin elbow.
"It's cold; you'll freeze in the storeroom. My bed's large enough for two."
~END~
Well, that's it for this chapter.Some feedback would be good so I know if my work is up to scratch with the general standards. There will probably be a lemon in the next chapter; sorry to drag this chapter out so long without much action.
-citricacid2001
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Yu-Gi-Oh characters. The plot line is my own though...
~Golden Opal~
Brown eyes made all the more vivid by the pale skin and silver-white hair srrounding them. Brown eyes, filled with unshed tears of pain and unasked questions. Brown eyes, witness to more cryelty than they cared to remember.
"Get up dog."
The boy scrambled to his feet with only a moment's hesitation, enough to earn him another blow which sent him careening headlong into the rough stone wall.
"Useless dog. After everything I've done for you since your parents died and you can'teven obey a simple command immediately. Stupid shit. Sinceyou're so slow, I expect your chores outside to take a long time. Long enough that you'll miss both lunch and dinner. Understand?"
An instant nod, fast enough that the boy only received a sharp clip on the ear. Hastily,he knelt to touch his forehead to the man's sandled feet with his forehead before rising to take his leave. His humiliation had one more ritual to complete before he could be released.
"Oh, and Ryou, you know what ahppens if you try to run away. Don't you?"
The boy bowed his head as he turned around to answer with the words which had been drilled into his head since the day he had entered this slavery under the pretense of adoption.
"If I should try to run away from your genorosity, You will hunt me down and beat me to the edge of deat, wait until I heal and then beat me to death. I cannot hide and noody will ever help me because these show that you own me."
The man nodded in brief approval as the boy held up his wrists, indicating the metal bands locked around each slim limb. Heavy and virtually unbreakable, they each had a loop to fasten a chain or rope and were stamped with the family crest. The approval was short lived.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Get a move on dog!"
---------------------------------------------------------
Ryou arrived home late, very late. He hadn't dwadled over his chores but his uncle had come out near evening and set him to churning the milk, knowing full well that the already tired boy would have to trek at least two miles to get any. Now sore, tired and dirty, Ryou wanted nothing more than to clean up and collapse in the storeroom where he slept on a pileof sacks. If he was lucky, his uncle might forget to tie up the spare rugs and he could wrap himself in one before he passed out, provided he remembered to replace it in the morning lest his uncle should check.
Padding softly to the kitchen where the water urns were kept, Ryou carefully ladelled out a drink for himself. So cool and refreshing! Dipping the worn linen rag he had brought with him into an urn, Ryou striped off his cloak and hooded smock, placing them in an untidy heap by his side. He began to carefully wipe off whatever he could of the day's sweat and the dust which seemed to stick to him in his chores no matter how hard he tried to keepclean under the hooded cloak he was forced to wear whenever he stepped out of the house into the burning rays of Aten. (Aten- the Egyption Sun god. Seen as the equivelent of Ra, in fact one might even say they are the same. Was once worshipped as the supreme god.) Finally satisfied that his body was as clean as he could get it by scrubbing with a rag in the dark, Ryou turned his attention to his clothes. Fumbling slightly in the litchen lit only by the light of the moon in Nut's embrace, he suddenly froze. (Nut-Egyption goddess of the sky.)
Thunk.
Eyes wide in terror, Ryou spun around to the source of the sound, expecting to meet his uncle ready to dish out punishment for his unauthorized "bath". Instead he found himself staring at a rathe red-faced Bakura trying to not swear as he nursed a stubbed toe. Ryou quickly fumbled with his smock, trying to pull it on and get out of his cousin's way as fast as possible.
"Don't bother, it's not like I'm going to tell on you."
Ryou stopped to stare uncertainly at the older boy who had now straightened up and was staring down at him with an imperious air not too different from the one his father often used on the boy. with a grace that could have rivaled the movements ofBastet in the darkest of nights, Bakura knelt down next to the food box and pulled out a bundle. Ryou nearly jumped out of his skin as the older boy tossed it to him. (Bastet- the Egyption cat goddess. I've forgotten what she's the goddess of and I can't be bothered to go and check... So sue me.)
"For Ra's sake, there's nothing to act so skitterish about Ryou, it's not a cobra or anything. It's just food leftovers from dinner; you *are* hungry, aren't you?"
Ryou nodded, unwrapping the bundle and staring at the unleaven bread in something akin to disbelief before digging in. He wasn't too painfully hungry; he'd already eaten some of the feed for the chickens, but to be eating *fresh* food? Something nagged at the back ofRyou's mind; something wasn't right.Bakura was being too nice to him...
The painfully thin frame froze as Bakura joined the boy on the floor, leaning against the wall and peering at him in the dim light. Speeding up his chewing, Ryou wondered why Bakura was simply sitting there staring at him as though he was the most fascinating thing in the world. Was it all part of some sick and demented plan to get him to relax his gaurd, be it ever so slightly, before inflicting some kind of pain on him? Or worse, calling to his father that Ryou was sneaking a bath in the middle of the night and had stolen their food to eat? Swallowing the last of the bread, Ryou folded the cloth neatly and made as though to put it away in the food box. A low voice, throaty but not harsh stopped him.
"Here, pass it to me. I'm nearer to the food box."
"N-no thankyou. Don't trouble, I'll do it." Ryou hated to humble himslef before his cousin even but he couldn't risk angering him. Besides, the boy bitterly decided, he'd already been stripped of his dignity a long time ago, beaten around and treated like a dog with distemper which wouldn't go away. Imagine his surprise when Bakura gently took his hand and pulled him onto the floor beside him. Ryou raised an eyebrow in question,not daring to protest, not really wanting to. Bakura simply eased the empty food wrapping from his hand and placed it in the food box which was within his reach. With that out of the way, the silver-haired boy turned his attention back to Ryou.
"Ryou, do you like it here?"
The question was completely unexpected and it took Ryou a few seconds to gather his wits and thank the gods that it was Bakura at least, not his unble who had asked the question. If it had been his uncle, his hesitation would have resulted in a severe beating.
"Uncle is very kind to me, especially considering that nobody else would take me in."
Bakura rolled his eyes and leaned his head against the wall that had long since lost the heat of the day.
"That's not answering the question. I asked, 'do you *like* it here? And for Ra's sake, stop cowering like that. I already said I'm not going to tell on you or beat you. I'm not my father."
'I'm not my father."
Ryou stared in surprise at Bakura. He'd never expected to hearthose words, not even in those rare moments where he actually had the energy to fantasise about how an actualy conversation between him and his cousin might go. And yet... unexpected as they were, those words were the very ones which let Ryou hope that he could actually trust the darker boy.
"I... no, I don't really like it here."
Bakura gave a husky chuckle and began to absent-mindedly play with Ryou's smock.
"Well, nice to see my father hasn'tbeaten even your opinions out of you. Yet, you're almost blindly trusting."
Ryou froze, his entire rigid frozen in terror. Surely Bakura wasn't implying...?
"Heh, relax. I was only kidding; you're like a little hamster. You don't like it here? If it were me, I would positively loathe it here."
Ryou stared in shock and disbelief at the older boy who was leaning against the wall with his head tilted back, a wry smile playing on his lips. Finally, as Bakura seemed to be in danger of slipping into his own thoughts, Ryou blurted out his question.
"Why do you care?"
"Excuse me?"
"Why do you care? Why are you suddenly asking what I think?"
There was a long stretch of silence. Ryou was beginning to think that it must be as long as the endless desert sand so he did the only thing he could think of doing.
"I'm sorry."
Bakura looked up sharply.
"There's no need to appologise, I was merely wondering how to answer your question."
Seeing that the boy was listening intently, curiousity clearly written across his innocent face, Bakura continued.
"Do you know why father makes you wear a hood and cloak everytime you step outside?"
"N-no."
"Have you never wondered why?"
"I... I asked Uncle once and he punished me for being a 'snoopy little slacker who engaged in idle thoughts which were not his business'."
"I guessed as much... He plans to sell you, soon."
"Sell me? As a slave? Can he do that?"
"Yes, the law's on his side since, he's leagally both your father and mother now. Besides, who would take his word against that of a mere slave?"
Ryou bowed his head, allowing his long hair to flop over his face, hoping it would hide the look of anguish on his face from the boy at his side. Numbly, his mind cast around for something to say, anything to say to take his mind off the thought of being sold and losing his second home, no matter how awful it might be.
"What does that have to do with my wearing a hood and cloak all the time?"
"He... he wants to sell you as a sex slave, they fetch more money. That's why you have to be suited up whenever you gooutside, so that you remain fair and don't get burnt by the sun- like me. That's why he makes you keep your hair long too."
Ryou was too bust digesting the information overload to notice the dexterous fingers playing with his hair, gently brushing the sand out of the tangled locks and setting them straight.
"When... when does he want to sell me?"
"When the slave caravans next pass through, perhaps by the next new moon. Ryou!"
The younger boy had broken down completely and buried his face in his cousin's chest, sorrow breaking down all his caution and inhibitations.
"Ryou... Get off..."
SLAP.
Ryou jerked back, stunned and for some ridiculous reason, betrayed.
"S-sorry Bakur- I mean, sir. I'll be going to sleep. Thankyou very much for the food."
Ryou wanted to slap himself. He might have known that his father had shown Ryou sympathy before only to break the boy's trust in him by brutally beating him up the next moment. In one fluid motion, he grabbed Ryou and pulled him down beside him again.
"S-sir? I'm sorry!"
"Shut up and stop appologising, I just didn't want you to wake my father with your crying. And don't call me sir, *I'm not my father*."
"Yes si-Bakura."
Bakura gently brushed the strands of silver out of Ryou's eyes, locking gaze with him. Brown eyes which finally found another pair which mirrored his own so perfectly. Ryou shivered as a wind blew in through the window, chilling him through the thin cotton smock. Classic desert weather; blazing like an oven in the day and a virtual ice box at night. Bakura instinctively drew Ryou closer to him. Ryou blinked, breaking their eye-lock to glance at the tanned hand resting gently on his hip, holding him less than a handsbreath from Bakura.
Bakura sensed the boy's discomfort rather than saw it; the moonlight didn't give enough light for him to see the faint blush which tainted his pale cheeks.
"Perhaps we should retire... It's late."
"Al-alright."
Bakura shook his head in disapproval as Ryousneezed in the cold night. Gently, but firmly, Bakura placed a hand on the thin elbow.
"It's cold; you'll freeze in the storeroom. My bed's large enough for two."
~END~
Well, that's it for this chapter.Some feedback would be good so I know if my work is up to scratch with the general standards. There will probably be a lemon in the next chapter; sorry to drag this chapter out so long without much action.
-citricacid2001